Parrots and Palm Seeds

[staceyf]

This stalk was cut off a small palm tree/bush.  It had at least 500 yellow berries on it.  The meat is yellow and has a slightly bitter citrus taste with a hard nut inside.  I need to know if the berry is toxic to birds, specifically parrots.  Thanks.

Please view pictures at:

http://community.webshots.com/album/560218037rIxzIU

The palm is in Augusta, Georgia  USA

[DoomsDave]

Stacey!

Welcome to our large loving family of freaks . . . .

Generally palm seeds are not poisonous, at least to people.  Some parrots, like macaws, eat clay to help them deal with toxic foods.

Certain palm seends contain a nasty irritant, and they're members of the fishtail group.

Can you post a picture of the palm itself, both overall and a detail of the leaves, in particular the shape of the leaflets?

That will help a lot.

Again, nice to meet you!

dave

[PalmGuyWC]

If the palm was growing in Augusta Ga, then it's a Butia, and it looks like Butia fruit. The fruit is eatable, and it can be boiled down to make a jelly. It's called the jelly palm in the Southern USA. Some Butia fruit tastes better than others. The fruit is full of fiber, but it can be chewed to get the juices out, then the fiber and seed spit out. The fruit has a sharp taste and I imagine it's full of vitiman C.  

Dick

[Tad]

those are pindo seeds, not poisonus.

[Really full garden]

There is a very rare macaw in Brasil - the Spix Macaw and they depend on the fruit of Syagrus coronata.

                                                   Scott

[staceyf]

Thank you all for you help.  I have discovered that the B. Capitata (Pindo or jelly palm) is not toxic for parrots.  Another Eclectus owner feeds the fruit to her birds every year.  My 2 love them.  There is also a palm nut from I believe Indonesia that is a delicacy for parrots.  What is usually the case, if it's okay for human consumption, it's okay for parrots'.  The only exceptions that I know of are chocolate (Caffeine) and avocado.

Thanks, again.  You all are a great bunch of people and I had no idea how prolific and beautiful the palms could be.  Thanks for opening my eyes.

[Alberto]

(scottgt @ Aug. 09 2007,16:00)

QUOTE

There is a very rare macaw in Brasil - the Spix Macaw and they depend on the fruit of Syagrus coronata.

                                                   Scott

The ´´Ararinha azul´´ or Spix arara is probably extinct in Brazil. The last one was a male. A female was released in wild for this arara but she dissapeared! Fortunately there are birds reproducing in captivity (Spain....)

   A lot of frugivorous birds here ate the fruits of my butias here. It´s a feast for them!

   I saw several times that tookans like avocados very much! So I dont know why it isn´t good for parrots.....